


Be My Valentine

by notallballs (notallbees)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gender or Sex Swap, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Miscommunication, Rule 63, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-28 16:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16245137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/pseuds/notallballs
Summary: "What's got you so glum, Captain?" Hanamaki asked.Tooru huffed. "It's nothing, really. Some boys teased me about dating Iwa-chan."Hanamaki burst out laughing. "You and Iwaizumi? That's hilarious."Tooru frowned at him. "How is that hilarious?"Oikawa doesn't want to get another girlfriend before the end of high school, and he also doesn't like the idea that people view his best friend as undateable. He just might have the perfect solution for both problems. A little fake dating never hurt anybody, right?





	Be My Valentine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skinnedkneedmisfit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinnedkneedmisfit/gifts).



> Happy birthday, sk!!   
>    
> Here's the other half to my fem!oikawa/boy!iwa fic, aka boy!kawa and fem!iwa.

It was just over a week until Valentine's, and Aoba Jousai was abuzz with the usual gossip, and secrets being passed back and forth. Tooru strode along the hallway, aware of the appreciative looks he garnered, the girls giggling behind their hands as he passed. Valentine's day was one of his favourite times of the year, and he was going to sorely miss it when he'd graduated from high school. There was little he loved more than opening his shoe locker on Valentine's morning to find it stuffed full of candy, gifts and letters from his adoring fans.

On the other hand, this was the first time in high school that Tooru had been single for Valentine's Day, and he was already dreading the inevitable influx of confessions that he would have to field. He had no intention of getting another girlfriend this close to the end of high school, but it was never easy to turn someone down. 

"Oi," said an irate voice off to his left. "What do you look so pleased about, Shittykawa?"

He turned, grinning. "Iwa-chan!" he said, bounding over to her. "Where were you this morning? I was almost late for school."

"It's not my fault you don't check your phone," she said, frowning. "I told you I had to help the girls with practice this morning."

Tooru laughed. "You're so dedicated, Iwa-chan. I'm sure they'd get on just fine without you, you know. You're not the captain anymore."

"And I'm sure you never help Yahaba-kun with his tosses," she said, rolling her eyes. She reached out to grab the collar of his blazer. "Come on, I'm starving."

Together they wandered along to the courtyard where they normally ate lunch together. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were already there, heads bent together while they whispered in a conspiratorial manner. 

"Look alive, lovebirds," Tooru chirped, sweeping into their midst and arranging himself on the other side of the picnic table. Matsukawa had been Iwaizumi's vice-captain, while Hanamaki was Tooru's own, and they spent almost as much time practising together as Tooru and Iwaizumi did. They weren't dating, at least not as far as Tooru knew, but he couldn't resist teasing them about it. 

"Speaking of lovebirds," Hanamaki said, looking unconcerned by the jibe as he sat back in his seat. "Did you find some poor girl to date you yet?"

"What's this?" Matsukawa asked, raising her head. "Did Oikawa get dumped again?"

"Pfft." Hanamaki waved his hand dismissively. "That's old news, she chucked him a couple of weeks ago."

Iwaizumi snickered. "I'm amazed she tolerated you as long as she did."

Tooru glared at them both. "Ha ha. I'll have you know, girls are lining up to go on a date with the great Oikawa-san."

"Maybe they thought it was the line for the bathroom," Matsukawa said, and she and Iwaizumi both snorted with laughter. 

Tooru sniffed and turned his nose up at them. "How about you, Makki?" he asked, pulling out his lunchbox. 

Hanamaki pretended to consider the question before shaking his head. "Nah, you're not my type." 

Tooru rolled his eyes. "Don't be silly, I'm everyone's type." All three of them dissolved into giggles, and Tooru sighed. "I don't know why I asked. No intelligent young woman would waste her time with you."

"She doesn't need to be intelligent," Hanamaki said, waggling his eyebrows. 

Matsukawa reached into her pocket. "Presenting Hanamaki's new girlfriend," she said with a dangerous smile, holding out her empty hand. "A slug I found in my mom's garden." 

With relief, Tooru joined in the laughter this time. He was used to his love life being a point of ridicule amongst his friends, and for the most part it didn't bother him, but he was still smarting after being dumped by his last girlfriend in favour of the basketball vice-captain. He fell quiet as the conversation moved away from his own chances and onto some reality TV show that Hanamaki and Matsukawa were obsessed with. He ate his lunch slowly, thinking about how nice it would be to have a girl make his lunch again instead of making his own. Hiyori hadn't been a very good cook, but one of his previous girlfriends had made him cute little volleyball-themed lunches once a week, for all of the six weeks that they dated. He wondered if there was a way to get a girl to make him lunch that didn't involve having to get a girlfriend.

"Hey," Iwaizumi said, leaning over to him while their friends were engrossed in an impassioned argument over who should end up together on their TV show. "You're quiet, what's up?"

"Just thinking, Iwa-chan," Tooru said, smiling brightly. "It's something us higher mammals do on occasion, you wouldn't understand—"

The thump he received was well-deserved, but Tooru just grinned and turned his attention back to his food and keeping half an ear on the argument unfolding. Finally Iwaizumi tired of the debate and announced that she was going to see if anyone wanted to kick a ball around until the bell rang for the end of lunch. 

"I'll come with you," Tooru said, quickly packing his things back in his bag. 

Iwaizumi stared at him. "Really?"

"Really what?" he asked, looking to Hanamaki and Matsukawa for support. "I know how soccer works."

"He probably read a book about it," Hanamaki said, then leaned over to receive a high five from Matsukawa. 

To Tooru's annoyance, Iwaizumi joined in with their laughter, but as soon as she'd composed herself, she shrugged and gestured for Tooru to follow. He jogged to catch up and fall in step with her as she stalked along the hallway toward her own classroom. Iwaizumi was friends with several of the boys in her class, and she often played one sport or another with them if there was no volleyball practice. Tooru had never really understood the fascination with any sport except volleyball. 

"Hey," Iwaizumi said, halfway to her classroom, punctuating her words with a gentle punch to Tooru's upper arm. "What's wrong with you today?"

"Wrong with me?" Tooru asked, rubbing his arm. "I just wanted to get outside, what's wrong with that? I'm going crazy without volleyball practice to keep me busy."

Iwaizumi narrowed her eyes at him, but her only response was a doubtful-sounding "Hmmm".

"At least it's almost Valentine's," Tooru said cheerfully.

"Yeah, great," Iwaizumi muttered, predictably unenthused. "Maybe I'll call in sick. It's better than tripping over your fangirls everywhere I go."

Tooru gave a forced laugh. "Maybe you can practice your hurdling."

They had reached Iwaizumi's classroom, but instead of heading inside, she took hold of Tooru's arm and drew him aside, into an alcove. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, looking up at him with the kind of annoyed look she had when she thought he was being stupid. "Are you still upset you got dumped?"

"No," Tooru muttered, shoulders slumping. "I just—I suppose I miss having a girlfriend, but I don't want to start seeing someone new so close to the end of school."

"Oh, what a trial," Iwaizumi said, rolling her eyes.

"You wouldn't understand," Tooru huffed.

Iwaizumi glared up at him. "What, because I don't waste my time drooling over boys? I don't need to have a boyfriend to know it's all a huge waste of time."

" _You're_ a waste of time," Tooru grumbled nonsensically.

Iwaizumi didn't rise to the bait. "You're being a baby," she told him, looking annoyed. "Just enjoy the presents."

Tooru sighed. "Alright."

"I changed my mind about going outside," Iwaizumi said, giving him a firm slap on the shoulder. "Cheer up, would you? You're not coming over tomorrow if you're just gonna sulk the whole time."

Tooru pouted. "I'm not sulking."

"Sure," Iwaizumi said, rolling her eyes. "It's just one day, it doesn't mean anything, alright?"

"Yeah," Tooru muttered, unconvinced. "See you later." 

After Iwaizumi had gone, he wandered back to his own classroom and made his way over to his desk. He had a little time to kill before lunch was over, but he didn't have anything to occupy him. Before he had time to get bored, someone called out to him.

"Yo, Oikawa!" It was Saotome, the vice-captain of the basketball team. He and Tooru had been in the same class all the way through high school, and they had formed a tentative truce, which was now being strained by the fact that Tooru's girlfriend had dumped him in favour of dating Saotome instead. 

Tooru wandered over, toying with his phone in his pocket. "Saotome-kun," he said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"

Saotome grinned. "Is it true you're dating Iwaizumi now?" he asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp. 

Surprise made Tooru laugh. "What makes you ask that?" 

"Just curious," Saotome said, shrugging. "There's a rumour going around that you two finally hooked up."

"Which one's Iwaizumi again?" one of Saotome's friends said to another. "The one that plays volleyball?"

His friend nodded. "Yeah, that tall vice-captain."

Saotome rolled his eyes. "That's Matsukawa, idiots. Iwaizumi is the captain of the girls team."

"She certainly is, and we're just friends," Tooru said easily. "I've known Iwa-chan since I was five." He sat down at the nearest desk and propped his chin in his hands. "Why the sudden interest, Saotome-kun? You're not interested in Iwa-chan, are you? Things a little rocky between you and Hiyori-chan?"

Saotome didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he glanced at his friends, and all three of them sniggered. "Yeah, right," he said, laughing.

"You might as well date a boy," joked one of the others, chuckling.

Tooru narrowed his eyes. "Do you think so?"

"Yeah, I mean, remember last year when she beat all the boys at arm wrestling?"

"It _was_ impressive," Saotome said, watching Tooru carefully, as if realising that he'd overstepped. "But...not really how you'd want your girlfriend to behave, right? I wouldn't like it if Hiyori could beat me at basketball."

Tooru gave him a winsome smile. "I suppose not," he said sweetly. "Imagine how emasculating that must be for someone who isn't secure in his own masculinity."

"Right," Saotome's friend agreed. 

Saotome narrowed his eyes, apparently having picked up Tooru's insinuation where his friend had failed.

"But if you'll excuse me," Tooru said, stepping away from them, "I need to visit the bathroom before lunch break is over."

One of the boys snickered. "You can say you need to take a dump, Oikawa." 

Tooru gave him an icy stare. "Were you born stupid, Itakura-kun, or has it taken years of practice?" He strode off before any of the boys could come up with a response, clenching his fists at his side. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to lash out like that. It was the kind of thing Iwaizumi would've said, not him, and he was glad she hadn't been around to overhear it.

 

—

 

Although they were no longer officially part of the volleyball team, Tooru and Hanamaki joined in with practice at least once a week, ostensibly so that Tooru could keep in shape until he joined his university team, but in reality he missed the rhythm of volleyball practice in his life. That afternoon, they joined in with serving and receiving drills, and left early when Coach Irihata gathered everyone together to tell them about an upcoming practice match. 

Hanamaki suggested that they swing by the corner shop on their way home, and even offered to buy meat buns for them both. Distracted, Tooru didn't recognise the bribe for what it was until Hanamaki gave up his subtle questioning and pulled the bag out of Tooru's reach when he went to take one of the buns. 

"What's got you so glum, Captain?" Hanamaki asked, swinging the bag above his head. 

Tooru huffed. "It's nothing, really. Some boys teased me about dating Iwa-chan."

Hanamaki burst out laughing. "You and Iwaizumi? That's hilarious." 

Tooru frowned at him. "How is that hilarious?" 

"I mean, you like _girly_ girls, you know?" Hanamaki said, waving a hand vaguely. 

"I like all girls!" Tooru protested. "And Hiyori-chan and Ama-chan were completely different," he added, listing his previous two girlfriends. "Hiyori-chan likes scary movies." He paused, frowning. "Or was that Himiko-chan?"

Hanamaki groaned and swiped at him with the bag of meat buns, which Tooru made a grab for. "You're insufferable, seriously. There's no way Iwaizumi would ever put up with you."

"You don't know that," Tooru mumbled, through a mouthful of meat bun. "She's put up with me for this long, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, as your friend," Hanamaki said doubtfully. "But dating someone is different, it's like—" He trailed off, stopping still in the street and staring at Tooru.

"What?"

"You like Iwaizumi."

Tooru flushed. "I do not."

"You totally do," Hanamaki said, laughing. "Why else are you so upset about it?"

"Because—because she's my best friend!" Tooru said, tearing his bun in half in frustration. "I—I don't know, I just. I don't like the idea of people not taking her seriously, or acting like—like nobody would want to be her boyfriend, just because she's not girly."

Hanamaki stared at him. "Oh. Right, yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine," Tooru grumbled. "I'm not annoyed with you, just Saotome and those idiots. They don't even know Iwa-chan, why do they think it's okay to say those things about her?"

"I dunno," Hanamaki said, nudging Tooru's arm. "The real question is, why do you care so much?"

"I told you, because she's my friend!"

Hanamaki hummed, unconvinced. "Yeah, if you say so." He contemplated for a moment, then he laughed again. "Sorry, sorry. Just the idea of you and Iwaizumi—I can't picture it." 

"Then don't," Tooru said through gritted teeth. 

"I can't stop imagining you guys trying to be all cute with each other, calling each other pet names—" Hanamaki doubled over with laughter. "It's too good!"

Tooru huffed. "I'm glad you find it _so_ entertaining, but some of us have to get home."

Hanamaki snorted. "Wait, you take the rest," he said, proffering the remains of the bag. "Suddenly I've lost my appetite."

Annoyed, Tooru took the bag from him. He wasn't hungry either, but maybe he'd share them with Takeru before his sister came home. 

 

—

 

Tooru did his best to put it out of his mind, all the thoughts about Iwaizumi and Saotome—not to mention Hanamaki—but the more he tried not to think about it, the more the thoughts kept creeping back.

The following day was Friday, which meant that Iwaizumi would be looking after her younger brother in the evening while her parents worked late. As soon as Tooru had finished his homework, he changed and walked over to her house, only stopping on the way to buy popcorn as instructed. 

Things were normal. They played with Chiaki, then Tooru made popcorn while Iwaizumi put Chiaki to bed, and then the two of them settled in to watch a movie together like normal. 

But partway into the film, Iwaizumi nudged Tooru's leg with her foot. "Hey. What're you sulking about?"

Tooru blinked at her. "I'm not sulking."

Iwaizumi leaned over and punched him in the shoulder. "That's for lying to me. I know when you're sulking. Is this still about Valentine's Day?"

"No!" Tooru said, clutching his arm. "And ow, Iwa-chan, you don't have to punctuate every sentence by punching me, you know."

"It gets my point across," Iwaizumi said, looking smug. 

Tooru grimaced. "So would a well-reasoned argument."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving a hand impatiently. "So, the sulking?"

"I'm not sulking!" Tooru insisted. "I just...have something on my mind."

This, however, was the wrong thing to say. Iwaizumi grabbed the remote and muted the TV, then turned to face him with an expectant look on her face. "Spill."

Tooru groaned. "Alright, just—don't take this the wrong way, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi's nose wrinkled, her brow creasing. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well...you know Saotome-kun?"

"That idiot from the basketball club?" Iwaizumi asked, looking unimpressed. "What about him?"

"He wanted to know if I was dating you, and obviously I said no, but everyone seemed to find the whole idea of it hilarious. I even talked to Makki, and he was just as bad!" He paused, eyeing Iwaizumi carefully to gauge her reaction. But, to his surprise, she only snorted and turned back to the TV.

"Sounds about right," she said, shrugging as she settled back into the couch. "I'd probably have laughed too."

Tooru scowled. "So we're just a big joke to everyone, is that it?"

Iwaizumi glanced at him. "Why does it bother you so much? It's not as though we're likely to start dating anyway."

"You don't know that!" Tooru said, folding his arms and sitting back with a scowl. "Anyway, I don't like everyone talking about you that way."

"What way?"

"I don't know—like you're not a normal girl, or like there's something wrong with a guy if he wants to date you."

Iwaizumi stared back at him, her expression unreadable. "I don't care about that," she said finally, looking away. 

"Well I do!" 

"Oikawa, really," Iwaizumi said, her voice strained with frustration. "Just forget about it. High school boys are idiots anyway. Do you really think I care what they think of me?"

Tooru grimaced. "No," he muttered. "But, still."

"It doesn't matter," she said, still watching the screen, although Tooru didn't think she was watching it anymore. "I don't care." She glanced at Tooru, the corner of her mouth tilting up. "And you shouldn't care so much either, you big loser."

"I don't," Tooru muttered.

Iwaizumi laughed. "Yeah, you do." Leaning over, she put a hand on his head and then ruffled his hair aggressively. "Oops, look at that. Messed up your image."

"You're a terrible friend," Tooru said half-heartedly, reaching up to smooth his hair down again. "I know!" he said, snapping his fingers with a sudden flash of inspiration. " _You_ could be my girlfriend!"

"What?" Iwaizumi said, turning to stare at him. 

"Just for pretend," Tooru said, nodding to himself as the idea formed in his mind. "That way I have a good excuse for rejecting all those girls on Valentine's, and you get to say you had a boyfriend in high school—"

"What the fuck—"

"—and we both get all the perks of having a boyfriend or girlfriend without any of the problems!"

Iwaizumi had given up protesting, and was just staring at him with open disgust. "Forget it," she said, shaking her head. "Not happening." 

Tooru drooped, his face falling. "You didn't even consider it!" 

"I gave it as much thought as it deserved." 

"I'd carry your bag for you, and give you a present on White Day," Tooru grumbled. "You don't need to be so stingy."

Iwaizumi rolled her eyes. "What makes you think I want someone to do any of that?" she scoffed. "Anyway, it's bad enough the shit I get just for being your friend. It would be a hundred times worse if people thought we were dating." 

Tooru blinked at her. "What kind of shit?" 

"You know," Iwaizumi sighed, gesturing impatiently. "Girls come and ask me about what you like, who you like, if I'd consider hanging out with you less so one of their friends can ask you out." 

"They do _what_?" Tooru demanded, staring at her with dawning horror. 

Iwaizumi shrugged. "Girls are dumb."

"But—"

"Also, I am _not_ having sex with you," she said at last, folding her arms tightly across her chest. 

Tooru stared back at her. "Wait— _what_? When did I say _that_?"

"You were talking about… _perks_ ," Iwaizumi said, wrinkling her nose.

"I didn't mean—" Tooru paused and glanced back at the doorway to make sure Chiaki wasn't listening in. "I didn't mean _sex_ ," he said in a harsh whisper.

Iwaizumi's brow creased. "Good," she muttered. "Because then I'd have to kill you."

"Right," Tooru said, nodding.

"I mean it. I'd break you in half."

"I know you would," Tooru said, trying not to think too hard about it. The other boys hadn't been very nice about Iwaizumi, but they also weren't wrong about her. She could beat Tooru at arm wrestling eight or nine times out of ten, and she excelled at every sport she'd ever tried. 

"Can we watch the movie now?"

Tooru nodded, and Iwaizumi reached over to snaffle the bowl of popcorn from him. But even as they turned their attention back to the movie, Tooru couldn't stop thinking about what Iwaizumi had said. 

"Do girls really ask you not to hang out with me?" he asked at last, the words bursting forth before he could stop them. 

Iwaizumi just shrugged. "They don't wanna ask you when I'm around, I guess." She snorted. "Or they think me and you are—" She gestured vaguely. "You know."

Tooru grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"Forget it," Iwaizumi said, shrugging again. "They're wrong, so it doesn't matter."

"It _does_ matter," Tooru said crossly. "I don't want to date someone who thinks they can just elbow my friends out of the way when it suits them."

"I never said I agreed to it," Iwaizumi said. "I just said they ask me."

Tooru gritted his teeth. "Well...they shouldn't."

"I thought you weren't going to date anyone else in school."

"I'm not!" 

"Then it doesn't matter, does it?" Iwaizumi said, giving him a bemused look. "Stop worrying about it."

Grumbling, Tooru grabbed the popcorn bowl back from her and slumped into the couch. He couldn't identify why it bothered him so much. It had always been sort of flattering, the idea of girls competing over his affections. But the thought of them involving Iwaizumi in their petty contests gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

 

—

 

On Sunday, Tooru took Takeru and met up with Iwaizumi and Chiaki at the park. The two of them had always practiced volleyball together outside of school, and their sessions had only increased now that they no longer had a team to practice with. Takeru and Chiaki both went to Little Tykes, and they were both energetic and enthusiastic, even if they hadn't quite mastered the techniques yet. 

Tooru had already arrived by the time Iwaizumi let him know that she was running late, so he and Takeru started practicing on their own, running through simple receiving drills that Tooru had practiced thousands of times. 

"Those girls are watching us," Takeru pointed out when they paused for breath. 

Tooru blinked at him. "What girls."

Undaunted, Takeru raised an arm and pointed across the park. "Over there. Are they from your school?"

"Take-chan, don't point at people," Tooru hissed, before turning to look where his nephew had pointed. A short distance away, several high school girls were crowded around a park bench. Tooru didn't recognise any of them, so he supposed they must be from another school nearby. He wondered if they'd come specifically to watch him play. He smiled at them, and raised a hand to wave at them.

"Mom says you're a floozy," Takeru said in a disparaging tone of voice.

Tooru stared at him in shock. "Takeru!" he scolded. "You shouldn't repeat what your mother says. You don't even know what that means."

"It means you have a different girlfriend every week," Takeru said, giving him a flat look. 

"Then your mother is wrong," Tooru said sniffily. "I don't have a girlfriend right now."

Takeru huffed. "You're still a floozy."

"Someone needs to wash your mouth out with soap, Take-chan," Tooru said disapprovingly. The girls were still watching and waving at them, and when Tooru raised a guilty arm to wave back again, two of the girls broke off and started to walk over to him. 

"Oh _no_ ," Takeru said with an exaggerated sigh.

Tooru grimaced. "Hush." He turned to grin at the girls. 

"Oi, trashykawa!" 

Tooru's eyes widened at the sound of Iwaizumi's voice, and moments later she and Chiaki jogged up beside him. 

"Hey," she said, reaching across his chest to tug at the string on his hoodie. "Sorry we're late, _someone_ couldn't find his jacket." 

"Nee-chan!" Chiaki protested. 

Iwaizumi laughed, resting her arm on Tooru's shoulder, then she turned and stiffened when she spotted the other girls hovering a few feet away. "Oh…am I interrupting?" she asked, taking a step away from him. 

"Of course not, Iwa-chan," Tooru said, giving the girls an encouraging smile. "Can we help you ladies?" 

One of them nudged the other, who blushed and took a step closer. "A-are you—Oikawa Tooru-san?" 

"That's me," Oikawa said cheerfully. "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" 

The girl's blush intensified, and the other huffed impatiently. "Ask him, Etsuko!" she hissed. 

Etsuko looked like she'd rather sink through the floor. "Um…Oikawa-san," she began in a shaky voice. "D-do you—" 

"He's already got a girlfriend," Iwaizumi said in a brusque voice. "Is that all? We have practice now." 

The girls both turned bright pink, and one of them glared at Iwaizumi while the other just stammered. 

"Um, sorry, ladies," Tooru said, giving them a helpless smile. "It was nice to meet you!"

"Come on," Iwaizumi said, tugging on his collar. "The kids are waiting."

Tooru submitted with a brief backward wave, following as Iwaizumi dragged him over toward the outside courts. There was no volleyball net, but they could practice serves and receives just as well without one. When Tooru glanced back, the girls had all disappeared. He tried to catch Iwaizumi's eye, but she was too busy corralling Takeru and Chiaki, and took no notice of him. The four of them settled in to practice, Iwaizumi serving while Tooru helped the boys practice their receiving form. They both hoped to attend Kitagawa Daiichi when they were old enough, and Tooru was determined that they would be the pride of Kitadai's volleyball team when that day came. After a while they switched, and Tooru demonstrated his serve for the boys while Iwaizumi dived back and forth, receiving all their attempts. 

Over the past year, since he and Iwaizumi had become captain of their respective teams, they'd organised regular joint practices. It made sense for them to play against one another when the opportunity was there, providing the opportunity for practice matches even when other schools were otherwise occupied. Tooru loved to watch Iwaizumi play. She was by far the strongest player on her team, flexible and powerful, with a fierce determination that matched his own. He watched, eyes wide, as she rolled to catch one of Takeru's off-centre serves, springing up again moments later, unconcerned by the smear of mud along her right side. 

"Hey," she said, clapping her hands together. "I'm ready, come on."

Tooru realised that he was staring, the volleyball clasped between both hands. He took a few steps back, then tossed the ball up into the air. Iwaizumi's eyes widened briefly, then Tooru was running, leaping into the air to strike. He smacked the ball, hard, aiming two metres to Iwaizumi's left, her weaker receiving side. She dove for it, her face grim with determination. There was a smack, and the ball went up, but Iwaizumi staggered as she tried to regain her feet. 

"Iwa-chan?" Tooru said, starting forward. 

"Shit," Iwaizumi hissed, sagging to her hands and knees. 

Tooru hurried over to her. "Iwa-chan! Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing," she said, grimacing. She grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled herself upright, setting her weight down tentatively on her left foot. "Damn. My foot skidded in the mud."

"I'm sorry," Tooru groaned, slipping an arm underneath her shoulder. "I shouldn't have aimed there, I knew the court was messy, I'm sorry—"

Iwaizumi gave a breathless laugh. "It's fine, don't be a baby. I just twisted it or something."

"Come and sit down," Tooru said, steering her toward a nearby bench. "You can lean on me."

"I'm _fine_ ," Iwaizumi said, but she didn't push Tooru away as he helped her hobble over to the bench.

Chiaki and Takeru approached slowly, both pale and frightened. 

"Nee-chan," Chiaki said in a tiny voice.

Iwaizumi laughed and lifted her arm to beckon him closer. "I'm fine, kiddo," she said, grinning at him. He sat beside her on the bench and she put an arm around his shoulders. "It's probably just a strain or something. Why don't you practice some more with Takeru?"

Chiaki looked unconvinced. "Do you need to go to the doctor?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," she said, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "We'll go home in a bit and put some ice on it."

"You should ice it now," Tooru said, frowning.

"It's not even swollen," Iwaizumi said, giving Chiaki a gentle shove in Takeru's direction. "Just finish practicing, I'll be fine in ten minutes."

"Hold on, I don't think we should keep practicing out here," Tooru said before the boys could run off again. "If Iwa-chan slipped then someone else might too."

"Ugh, Oikawa—"

Tooru shook his head. "We're going home. Come on."

Normally, such an announcement would've produced complaints from Takeru and Chiaki, but neither of them spoke up, clearly still rattled by Iwaizumi's injury. 

"I'm really fine," she said, pushing herself up from the bench. She took a few limping steps, doing her best to hide her grimace. 

Tooru rolled his eyes. "That's it." He moved in front of her and crouched down. "Hop up, I'll carry you."

"You will not," Iwaizumi growled. 

"Don't be so stubborn," Tooru scolded. 

"Oikawa—"

"Chiakkun, tell your sister to stop being stubborn."

Chiaki glanced from Tooru to Iwaizumi, biting his lip anxiously.

Iwaizumi groaned loudly. "Alright, alright," she sighed. She backed up to the bench and carefully clambered up onto the seat, then put her hands on Tooru's shoulders. He reached behind him and grasped her thighs, hooking his arms underneath them and taking her weight.

"There, was that so hard?"

"I hate you," Iwaizumi grumbled. "If we see anyone we know, I'll kneecap you."

Tooru huffed with laughter. "That hardly seems fair, Iwa-chan," he said, rolling his eyes. "I can't control who sees us."

"Just get a move on," she said, digging her heel into his side. "Come on, kids."

The four of them set off for home, Chiaki and Takeru leading the way while Tooru brought up the rear. Iwaizumi was heavier than she looked, but Tooru wisely refrained from commenting on her weight. He'd given her a piggyback once before, but it had been a long time ago. He liked the way her strong thighs squeezed his hips, and the sensation of her warm breath against the side of his neck. 

"Hey, Iwa-chan," he murmured, hanging back a little way so that the boys would be out of earshot. "Why did you tell those girls I had a girlfriend?"

Iwaizumi's arms tightened around him briefly. "I thought that's what you wanted. You wanted me to pretend, so…"

Tooru's heart thumped. "But you said no."

"So?" Iwaizumi huffed. "Does it matter? I figured you didn't want to bother with those dumb girls in the park, that's all."

"I didn't," Tooru said, bewildered. "But—does that mean we're dating now?"

Iwaizumi huffed again. Her breath tickled the hairs on the back of his neck and made him shiver. "Why do you have to overcomplicate everything?" she grumbled. "Fine, if that's what you want."

Warmth burst through Tooru's chest. "Iwa-chan, yay!" he cheered, bouncing her up and down. 

"Oi, watch it—!"

Tooru laughed loudly. "I can't help it, I'm excited," he said, thinking with relief of how much easier this was going to make turning down all those confessions. They could pretend to date for a month or two, and then it would be almost time to start university. "Will you make me chocolate for Valentine's Day?"

"Get bent," Iwaizumi growled, kicking him again with her good foot. 

 

—

 

The following day, Tooru met Iwaizumi outside her house as usual and the two of them walked to school together. As Iwaizumi had predicted, her twisted ankle was no more than a light strain, and after some ice and a bandage support, she was able to walk with minimal limping. Tooru still kept a close eye on her, just in case. As they approached the main school building, he spotted a few students he recognised, and a thought occurred to him.

"Iwa-chan, hold my hand," he hissed, leaning over to her. 

Iwaizumi scowled at him. "In your dreams."

"Let me carry your bag then," he said, trying to tug it off her shoulder. "Come on, I always carry my girlfriend's bag—"

"Fuck off," Iwaizumi snarled, slapping his hand away. "I'm not like those other girls, find someone else if you want to baby them."

Tooru groaned. "But nobody's going to believe that we're dating if we don't sell it."

"Who cares?" she shot back. "Are you really that afraid of your fangirls?"

"Of course not!" 

Iwaizumi rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I need to find Matsukawa before class. See you at lunch?"

Tooru wilted. "Alright." He watched her walk away, then turned and headed toward his own classroom. 

The first two lessons passed quickly, though his third period History class dragged on. Tooru made an excuse to escape to the toilet, smuggling his phone out so that he could text Iwaizumi and check up on her.

_Iwa-chaaan~_  
_How's your foot?_  
_Should I kiss it better? ♡ (￣З￣)_

He grinned to himself, anticipating the abuse he was going to bring down on his head with such an offer. On his way back to the classroom, a teacher passing through the hallway told him off for whistling. 

As soon as the bell rang at lunchtime, Tooru grabbed his bag and raced along the hallway to Iwaizumi's classroom. She was still there, sitting with her feet up on her desk while she talked to one of her friends. She didn't seem to notice or care that her skirt had slid up her thighs, revealing the grey athletic shorts she always wore underneath. 

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru yelled, waving. "Lunchtime, come on!" 

Iwaizumi turned and blinked at him for a moment before a lopsided grin touched her face. Saying a quick goodbye to her friends, she picked up her bag and coat and joined him in the doorway. 

"You should let me carry that," Tooru tried again, as they walked down to their shoe lockers. He made a swipe for her bag, which she dodged easily. 

"Idiot," she sighed fondly. 

They changed into their outdoor shoes, and made their way to the courtyard to meet Hanamaki and Matsukawa. 

"Hey!" Hanamaki yelled, standing up as soon as they entered and pointing an accusing finger at them both. "Something's different. What's different?"

"Iwa-chan twisted her ankle," Tooru said, pointing out the offending limb. "Is that it?"

Hanamaki peered at them suspiciously. "That's not it. You're up to something. Both of you."

"You're imagining it," Iwaizumi said, pushing his hand away and limping past him to sit down at the bench beside Matsukawa. 

Tooru bit his lip. He wanted to tell Hanamaki and Matsukawa about the plan, and avoid any misunderstandings later, but it seemed that Iwaizumi wanted to pretend nothing was different between them anyway. He supposed it didn't really matter whether their friends or other students saw them acting like a couple or not; he could still tell them he had a girlfriend, and Iwaizumi could back it up if anyone asked. That was enough. He didn't like the idea of hiding the truth from their friends, but he resolved to ask Iwaizumi before spilling the secret. 

When he tuned back into the conversation, the others were discussing Valentine's Day. 

"I might just not come to school," Hanamaki was saying mournfully. "The only people who ever give me chocolate are my cousin and my next door neighbour."

"I gave you chocolate last year," Matsukawa said. "It's not my fault you couldn't eat it."

"You _know_ I'm allergic to nuts."

Matsukawa shrugged. 

"I'm sure sluttykawa will share his spoils with you," Iwaizumi said, giving Tooru a friendly kick under the table. "Right, sluttykawa?"

"I've never been slutty in my life," Tooru said sniffily. "I can't help being beautiful." He was met with a chorus of booing and laughter, and he grinned. "Anyway, Makki, you shouldn't turn your nose up at obligatory chocolate, it's still a nice gesture."

Hanamaki sighed. "I guess. Does Iwaizumi give you chocolate?"

"No," Tooru said, pouting. "Iwa-chan is very stingy."

"You're too greedy," Iwaizumi said, shaking her head. "I don't want to encourage you."

"Very sensible," Matsukawa agreed. "Are you guys going to see the tournament next week?" 

The conversation turned to volleyball, as it always did eventually, while the four of them made plans to go and support their kouhai together at the next tournament. 

 

—

 

The rest of the week passed much the same. Things didn't really change between Tooru and Iwaizumi. They walked to school together as usual, ate lunch together as usual, and watched wrestling together after they'd finished their homework with Hanamaki and Matsukawa. 

On Saturday, Tooru was stopped in the hallway by a particularly determined group of second year girls, who pushed one of their number forward to present a letter to him.

"Ah, sorry," Tooru said, giving her a rueful smile. "It's very kind of you, but I already have a girlfriend."

"Who is it?" demanded one of the others as they turned to leave.

Tooru froze. "Uh...I'm not sure she'd want me to say, sorry."

The girls looked unimpressed by this. 

Tooru was still occupied by it later that day when he said goodbye to his parents and wandered over to Iwaizumi's house. Her parents had gone out for the evening, and Iwaizumi was babysitting Chiaki again. The three of them played a board game until Chiaki's bedtime, and then Tooru and Iwaizumi settled down on the couch to play a game. Tooru wasn't very good at video games, and Iwaizumi always took great delight in beating him, no matter what they played. 

"You're quiet tonight," she observed, after destroying him in three straight matches. She looked up at him, pausing the game and resting the controller on her knees. "What's up?"

Tooru shrugged, realising for the first time that they'd ended up slumped together in one corner of the couch, one of Iwaizumi's legs slung over his own. "How come you never get this close to me at school?"

Iwaizumi's eyes widened and she shifted away from him quickly. "It's school," she said, turning her attention back to the screen. "It would be weird."

"But nobody can see us here," he said, frowning. "What's the point?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well...nobody knows about us still," Tooru said. "Not even Makki and Mattsun."

Iwaizumi bit her lip. "They know. I told them not to say anything or I'd rip their arms off."

Tooru blinked. "O...kay?"

"Why are you so desperate for everyone to know I'm your girlfriend?" she asked, turning to look at him, her dark eyes wide. She didn't seem angry, merely curious. 

"That's kind of the point, isn't it?" Tooru said, shrugging. "And...I don't know. Maybe I'm still angry about what those boys said about you."

Iwaizumi snorted. "Who cares about that. It doesn't matter."

"It does," Tooru said fiercely. "You're amazing! Any guy would be lucky to have you. I guess...I want people to know that."

"God," Iwaizumi groaned, covering her face with both hands. The tips of her ears were pink. "You say the dumbest things. What am I supposed to say to that?"

Tooru laughed. "Maybe you could tell me I'm beautiful?"

Iwaizumi snorted loudly. "You wish." She looked up at him again, her smile lopsided and wonderful. Then she ruined it by reaching up and ruffling his hair. "There," she said proudly. "Marginally less hideous."

Tooru responded to her taunt with an exaggerated gasp, lifting one hand to his ruined hairstyle. "Iwa-chan, how could you?" he said dramatically. "This calls for vengeance."

"Oh, no, don't you dare," Iwaizumi said, half rising from her seat. 

"Vengeance!" Tooru shouted, jumping up from the couch. 

In a straight up race, Iwaizumi was faster, but Tooru had the element of surprise, and Iwaizumi was hampered by being in her living room instead of on a track. She only made it four steps before Tooru caught her around the waist and the two of them crashed to the floor together. 

"Let go!" Iwaizumi complained through her laughter, trying to fend him off. "Ugh, you're too heavy!"

"First, apologise," Tooru crowed, grabbing her wrists and pinning them by her head. "Then _maybe_ I'll consider releasing you."

"You bastard," Iwaizumi growled, bucking her hips to try and unseat him. Her arms strained in his hold, but she couldn't quite free herself. "I'm not apologising for messing up your prettyboy hair."

Tooru grinned at her. "Aw, Iwa-chan, you think I'm pretty?"

"Pretty stupid, maybe."

"Mean," Tooru said with an exaggerated pout. He clasped his hands more tightly around her wrists. "I can admit that Iwa-chan is cute—" 

"Oi—" 

"In a prickly cactus sort of way." 

Iwaizumi snorted and rolled her eyes at him. 

"So Iwa-chan should be able to admit that I'm cute in a strong, dashing kind of way." 

"In your dreams," Iwaizumi said, smirking up at him. "Your head is so big, the rest of your body looks like a weird little puppet attached to a balloon." 

Tooru clucked his tongue impatiently. "Should I remind you who has the upper hand here, Iwa-chan?" he sing-songed, squeezing her wrists for effect. "If you want me to let you go, all you have to do is tell me how pretty I am…" 

"I'd rather die," Iwaizumi said, laughing. She wriggled again, trying to unseat him. "Come on, get off. This is why people think we're weird, you know." 

Tooru stared at her. They'd wrestled like this a hundred times before, but Tooru was struck suddenly by the truth of her words. Even with the girlfriends he'd been closest to, Tooru would never have dreamed of behaving with them the way he did with Iwaizumi. It had, in fact, been the source of his being dumped on several occasions. 

He leaned closer. "Hey, Iwa-chan." 

Iwaizumi frowned up at him. "What do you want, idiot?" 

Tooru blinked at her. He wasn't sure. He glanced down at her chest, rising and falling sharply with his weight on top of her, then realised where he was looking and quickly averted his gaze. "Nothing," he murmured. "Hey...do you think I'm shallow?" 

After a moment, Iwaizumi's expression softened. "Are you really that bothered by what those morons at school said?" 

Releasing her wrists, Tooru shrugged and sat back. "Not really. Maybe."

"You shouldn't worry about it. I don't."

"Mm, I know," Tooru sighed. After a moment, he put a hand beside her head and leaned over, searching her eyes intently. "You didn't answer my question." 

Iwaizumi drew in a sharp breath. Her gaze dropped briefly to his mouth, then met his eyes once more. "Well...you can be a little shallow," she murmured, "but only because you care too much about what other people think. You always worry about how people see you." 

Tooru's mouth was dry. He licked his bottom lip. "I don't worry about how you see me," he said softly. 

"Maybe you're not _completely_ stupid." 

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Tooru teased.

Iwaizumi lifted her chin slightly, and when she spoke again her warm breath touched his chin. "I could be nicer, if you really wanted."

Tooru's brow creased faintly. "What do you mean?"

Iwaizumi's cheeks pinked. "Nothing," she murmured, looking away. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and shifted her weight slightly underneath him. "Get off me." 

Tooru was reminded of when he'd carried her home at the previous day, how it had felt to have her wrapped around him. "Iwa—" he said softly, leaning down further. 

Iwaizumi looked at him, her eyes widening and then falling shut, her dark eyebrows drawing together. Her bottom lip was wet where she'd bitten it moments ago. Tooru closed his eyes and leaned down. 

"Nee-chan—!" 

They both jerked upright at the sound of Iwaizumi's little brother in the doorway. Iwaizumi struggled to her feet, elbowing Tooru out of the way with merciless precision. He followed a moment later, groaning and clutching his side where he'd been struck. 

"What're you doing?" Chiaki asked, looking from Iwaizumi to Tooru. "Are you fighting?" 

"Your sister was showing me her wrestling moves," Tooru said, winking at Chiaki. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" 

"Yes, he is," Iwaizumi said crossly. She grabbed Chiaki's shoulder and hustled him out of the room. "Come on, bed." 

"But there's a monster!" Chiaki protested.

Tooru listened to them bicker as they climbed the stairs, and sank back onto the couch. He blinked at the TV, unseeing. For just a moment, he'd been absolutely certain that Iwaizumi wanted him to kiss her. For just moment, he'd actually been about to do it. Tooru had never seen that particular look on her face before, but he'd seen it on plenty of others. The presence of such a look on his best friend's face, and directed at _him_ of all people. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Tooru grabbed his backpack and went into the hallway to don his coat and shoes. This was more than he could deal with right now. 

"Iwa-chan!" he called up the stairs. "Mama called, I have get home!" 

He left before she could reply, knowing that Chiaki would keep her too busy to come down and say goodbye. He was counting on it. 

 

—

 

Tooru managed to avoid Iwaizumi the next day by making some excuse about family plans. Lying to her made him feel awful, but it was easier than facing whatever had almost happened between them. 

On Monday morning, Tooru texted her a quick excuse about homework and rushed to school early. Too early, unfortunately, because when he arrived at his shoe locker, he found three girls squabbling over who should be allowed to put their gift in first, or whose should be on top. Tooru hovered awkwardly for a few moments until they spotted him, at which point they all blushed and scattered, leaving his locker standing open and spilling pink ribbon. 

"Thank you!" Tooru called after them. He pocketed the notes, and stuffed the chocolates and cookies in his bag. For some reason, he just didn't have the appetite for them that morning. 

Without anything else to occupy him, Tooru reached his classroom early, though several students were already present, including the class president Ohta Chinatsu. 

"Oh, Oikawa-kun!" she said when he entered, hurrying over to his desk. "Good morning."

Tooru blinked at her. "Good morning, Ohta-san," he said, smiling warily. "Is everything alright?"

Ohta smiled at him. "Is it true you're dating Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-kun?"

Tooru's eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, my cousin goes to Tsunoda High, she said she saw you in the park last weekend with Iwaizumi-san. Is it true?"

Over Ohta's shoulder, Tooru became aware of a group of girls listening carefully for his answer. "Uh...yes?" he ventured. 

Ohta's face fell. "That's such a shame," she said, pouting. 

"What?"

"Oh, I shouldn't really say," Ohta said, putting a hand to her mouth.

Tooru glanced at the other girls, then back to Ohta. She wore her hair in two careful braids, and had expensive-looking glasses. Tooru didn't dislike her, but they had only been in the same class for the past year, so he didn't know her well. He suspected that she was a gossip. "What is it, Ohta-chan?" he asked, trying on his winning smile.

Ohta coloured slightly. "It's just...Hiyori-chan broke up with Saotome-kun at the weekend," she said in a hushed voice that was nonetheless loud enough to carry to the girls nearby. "I think she was hoping you two could work things out."

Tooru stared at her. "I...see," he said. 

"Don't tell anyone that I told you," Ohta said in a low voice. 

"Of course not," Tooru murmured. 

Ohta beamed at him. "Thank you, Oikawa-kun!"

"I didn't do anything," he said, but she had already skipped away to rejoin her friends. Tooru caught a few curious glances in his direction, but he did his best to ignore them, turning to stare out of the window instead. His mind was a jumble. He thought he'd made peace with his and Hiyori's break up, but the idea of getting back together with her was tantalising. He liked Hiyori; she was sweet and funny, and good at kissing. Tooru didn't even really mind that she wasn't a very good cook. 

Just before the first bell rang, Tooru noticed Saotome slip into the classroom. He looked across the room, pinning Tooru with a poisonous look, before turning his back and taking his seat at the front of the class. 

Tooru spent the whole morning distracted by what Ohta had told him. If it hadn't been for the dirty looks Saotome had been throwing him all morning, Tooru might have suspected the whole thing was just an invention, but as it was, all he could think of was what it meant if Hiyori really did want to get back together. He suspected that Iwaizumi would be relieved to escape their ruse; she hadn't exactly been enthusiastic about it to begin with. But then there was the strange moment they'd had on Saturday, the way Iwaizumi had looked at him before her eyes slid shut, the tilt of her chin and the smooth, supplicant shape of her throat. Tooru shivered at the memory; he'd wanted to kiss her then. If Chiaki hadn't interrupted them, he would have done it.

Again, Tooru excused himself to the bathroom in the middle of class, and tried to will himself to stop thinking about Iwaizumi like that. The last thing he needed was to spend all day with a boner. Or think such thoughts about his best friend. 

When lunchtime arrived, Tooru packed up his things in a daze and walked down to his shoe locker. He was waylaid six or seven times, and gifts and pretty little plastic bags tied with ribbon were forced into his hands. Tooru had no idea what he said in return. He couldn't even remember most of their faces, and he hoped their notes had names on them, so that he could return the favour on White Day. 

Iwaizumi was alone in the courtyard when Tooru arrived. She glanced at his bag, which was spilling pink ribbon, and quickly tucked something away in the pocket of her blazer. 

"Hey."

"Hi, Iwa-chan," he murmured. He sat down and pulled out his lunch. "Where's Makki and Mattsun?"

Iwaizumi shrugged. "Said they needed to talk to someone."

"Oh," Tooru said, nodding. "Okay."

"Maybe they're sucking face somewhere," Iwaizumi said casually.

"Mm, maybe."

Iwaizumi reached out and jabbed him with her own chopsticks. "Hey. What's wrong with you?"

"Hm?" Tooru hummed, looking up. He frowned. There was something different about her today. Her untidy fringe was held back with a couple of blue, shiny clips, and her mouth was shinier than usual. Tooru blinked, trying to wrap his head around it. "Is that—are you—why do you look like that?"

Iwaizumi's expression shuttered. She raised the chopsticks again threateningly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you wearing lip gloss?" Tooru asked, squinting at her. "And—is that eye shadow?"

"So what?" Iwaizumi asked, scowling. "Answer the question."

Tooru opened his mouth. Whatever he'd intended wasn't what came out. "Hiyori-chan broke up with Saotome."

Iwaizumi stared at him. "What?"

Even in his distracted state, Tooru had a sense that the worst thing he could do was keep talking. But, somehow, he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Ohta, in my class, she said that Hiyori wants to get back together." 

"I see," Iwaizumi said, sitting back in her seat. She put her hand in her pocket, rustling something out of sight. "Is that what you want?"

"I—I don't know," he said, grimacing. "I mean—no, I don't. I don't think?"

Iwaizumi's face twisted, baring her teeth in annoyance. "Forget it. Get back together with Hiyori if that's what you want. I don't know why I thought it would be different this time."

"What?" Tooru asked, watching with a sinking feeling in his stomach as she started to get up, shoving her things back in her bag. "What do you mean, this time?"

"Fuck off, shittykawa."

Tooru scrambled to his feet. "Iwa—hold on, what's wrong?"

He tried to reach out and touch her shoulder, but Iwaizumi shrugged him off angrily. "What do you _think_ is wrong, you moron?" she snapped, rounding on him. Tooru was horrified to notice the unshed tears in her eyes. "I thought you might actually—but no, you just wanted to use me to get your dumb, two-faced ex-girlfriend back. Well, fuck you."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Tooru asked, trailing after her. "You—you didn't even want to do this, when I first asked you to pretend with me, you—"

He trailed off when Iwaizumi stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him. The look on her face was wretched; a slow, horrified realisation. Ice water poured down Tooru's spine. 

"You thought we were just pretending?" Iwaizumi whispered. A tear ran down her cheek. 

Tooru stared at her. He felt suddenly like he wanted to throw up. "Weren't we?" he whispered. 

Iwaizumi covered her mouth. 

"Oh, no, Iwa-chan—"

"Go away," she said in a shaky voice, backing away from him. 

Tooru wanted to cry. His throat hurt. "Iwa-chan, please," he said, taking a few steps after her. "I'm sorry, I thought—"

Iwaizumi turned back and shoved him hard, knocking him back against the wall. "Leave me _alone_ , Oikawa!" she growled. "I don't want to see you."

Tooru fell back, staring after her as she stalked away along the hallway and disappeared around a corner. He really wanted to throw up. He turned and walked back to where he'd left his bag, then went to hide in the volleyball club room until lunch was over. 

 

—

 

Iwaizumi didn't wait for him at the end of school, and she didn't respond to any of his messages. Tooru traipsed home alone, and crawled into his futon without changing out of his school uniform, stopping only to remove his tie and blazer. He felt sick and miserable and foolish. He couldn't stop thinking about the other night, the heat of Iwaizumi pressed up against him as they played games together, and the reluctant surrender of her beneath him, the way she'd tilted her face up to his—

Groaning, Tooru buried his face in his pillow and pulled the covers over his head. He wished the ground would swallow him up. The memory of Iwaizumi's face that afternoon kept replaying in his mind, and he couldn't seem to shut it out. Tooru hated making her cry. 

"Tooru!" his mother called up the stairs eventually. "There's a young lady at the door for you!" 

Tooru grimaced.

"Tooru!"

Groaning, he threw the sheets back and scrambled out of bed, shedding his sweater as he trudged to the door. His mother was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Darling, what on earth happened to your hair?"

Tooru ignored her and turned to the visitor currently waiting in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Hiyori-chan."

"Tooru-kun," she said, giving him a shy smile. She glanced at Tooru's mother, who smiled before disappearing into the other room.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Hiyori hesitated. "Well…I heard that you were dating Iwaizumi," she said, wrinkling her nose. "But then I heard that the two of you fought today, and I...well, I was wondering if you wanted to get back together."

"No."

Hiyori blinked. "No?"

"No," Tooru said firmly. He reached out to shut the door. "Goodbye, Hiyori."

"But—!"

Tooru ignored her, ushering her outside and then slamming the door behind her. He turned to find his mother watching him with a horrified expression.

"Tooru, what do you think you're doing?"

"Mama, I don't like Hiyori—"

"But she seems like such a sweet girl!"

"—I like Iwa-chan."

His mother's face slackened with surprise. "Hajime-chan?"

Tooru nodded. 

"I see." She frowned. "Are you two dating? Because if you are, I'm not letting the two of you babysit Chiaki on your own anymore."

"Mama!" Tooru said, scandalised, his face heating. He started back toward the stairs, hoping to escape to his own room again. "We're not dating, don't be embarrassing."

"I mean it, Tooru!" she called up after him. "You're too young to start having sex! I'm not having another incident like your sister!"

Tooru groaned. "I'm not listening!" he yelled, covering his ears. 

Safe in the confines of his bedroom, Tooru shook off the images his mother had conjured up, and quickly changed out of his uniform into casual clothes. Picking up his phone, he found that Iwaizumi still hadn't replied to his messages, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He bolted back down the stairs, calling out a farewell to his mother as he tugged on his shoes and slipped outside. 

Iwaizumi's house was a ten minute walk, less if he ran. Tooru arrived at the door in four minutes, panting lightly, and knocked. 

Chiaki answered the door. "Tooru-nii!" he said, brightening. "Did you like the chocolates?"

Tooru frowned. "What chocolates?"

"The ones we made for you!" Chiaki said impatiently. "Me and nee-chan spent all of yesterday making them."

The sick feeling in Tooru's stomach returned tenfold. He remembered Iwaizumi hiding something from him earlier that day, the rustle of it in her pocket. "Yes," he said, crouching down to ruffle Chiaki's hair. "I loved them, you're going to be a great chef when you're older, Chiakkun."

Chiaki grinned.

"Is your sister home?"

"No," Chiaki said, shaking his head. "She went for a walk."

"Alright," Tooru said, trying not to let his disappointment show. "How about I go find her for you, hm? Do you know where she went?"

Chiaki, predictably, had no idea where Iwaizumi might be, but Tooru had a few suspicions. He jogged from Iwaizumi's house to the corner store nearby, then to the bridge over the river where they often went to feed the ducks. Finally, he circled around to the park. The light was already fading, and Tooru picked up the pace as he ran through the park, casting his gaze here and there in search of her. 

At last, just as he was about to give up, he rounded a corner and there she was, sitting on a bench with her back to him. 

"Iwa-chan," Tooru called breathlessly.

Iwaizumi bolted upright, turning to him with wide eyes. "What're you doing here?" she asked, drawing her face into a scowl. 

Tooru jogged over to her. "Iwa—I need to tell you something."

Iwaizumi glared at him. "Let me guess, you're back with Hiyori now? I saw her heading over to your place."

"No!" Tooru said, reaching out for her. He put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. "Iwa—I wanted to say I'm sorry. Really sorry. I thought we were just pretending."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, shaking him off and folding her arms across her chest. "You said that already. Forget about it."

Tooru shook his head. "You don't understand—I thought you just wanted to pretend, but the other night—I really wanted to kiss you."

Iwaizumi's face flamed. "Of course you did, sluttykawa," she growled. "It's the best of both worlds, right? You don't have all the downsides of a girlfriend but you still get the…" She glared at him, and spat out the last word. " _Perks_." 

Tooru winced. "I don't think of you that way."

"Right," Iwaizumi said, her face screwing up. "Because who'd think like that about someone like _me_?" 

"Iwa-chan—" 

"Go _away_."

Tooru bit the inside of his cheek. There had to be something he could say to make her understand. He took a deep breath, resisting the urge to shout back. "I went to your house," he said softly. "Chiaki told me about the chocolate you made."

Iwaizumi snorted, and reached up to wipe her cheek on the sleeve of her hoodie. "Too bad. I threw it out."

"I don't care about that," Tooru said, smiling at her. "Why did you make me chocolate, Iwa-chan?"

"Chiaki wanted to," she said stubbornly. "And you kept complaining about it, I thought it would shut you up."

Tooru's smile widened. "Iwa-chan," he said. He reached out for her hand, slipping his fingers between hers. "I like you too."

Iwaizumi blinked up at him. Her dark eyelashes were wet, sticking together. "I never said I liked you," she muttered. 

Tooru laughed under his breath. "Iwa, I like you," he sighed, squeezing her hand. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away a tear. "I like you even when you're mean to me."

She laughed wetly, and lowered her gaze. "But I'm not— _girly_. I'm not pretty, and I don't know how to cook, or—be any of those things girls are supposed to be." She looked up at him, her voice taking on an edge. "And I don't _want_ to be."

"I know that," Tooru said, grinning at her. "But you're wrong about not being pretty."

Iwaizumi blushed fiercely. "You're such an idiot," she said, trying not to smile.

"Mm," Tooru hummed, leaning closer. "Can I kiss you, Iwa-chan?"

She let out a soft groan. "We're in public."

"It's dark."

"Alright, alright," she huffed, unable to keep down her smile. "Just don't get annoyed if I'm bad at it. I haven't had as much practice as you."

"I could help with that," Tooru murmured.

Iwaizumi reached up and grabbed the collar of his hoodie. "Just shut up and kiss me before I change my mind."

Tooru did, pressing their lips together gently. Her mouth was soft, parting beneath his own. He touched her bottom lip with his tongue, and her fingers clenched more tightly in his hoodie. 

"Iwa," Tooru whispered, venturing to put his hands on her waist, brushing her hips through her coat. 

Iwaizumi hummed softly. "That wasn't terrible."

"Mm," Tooru agreed, nuzzling the tip of her nose with his own. He kissed her again gently. "Hey, Iwa-chan. Can we date for real this time?"

She made a thoughtful sound. "I'll consider it."

Tooru laughed. He kissed her cheek, then the side of her jaw. "Pretty please?" he whispered, slipping his hands around to her back. 

Sighing, Iwaizumi put her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his shoulder. "You're a brat," she murmured. 

"Guilty," Tooru sighed happily. 

 

—

 

"Something's different with you two," Hanamaki said when they arrived at the courtyard together the next day.

Matsukawa glanced at them, then smirked. "Oh, I see."

Hanamaki squinted. "What?"

"Nothing," Matsukawa said, with a smug smile. 

"Don't tease him," Iwaizumi said, dropping Tooru's hand and taking her usual seat beside Matsukawa. "He's using all his brain cells just to keep breathing."

"Poor Makki," Tooru agreed, taking his own seat. "How was your Valentine's Day?"

"Actually," Hanamaki said, puffing up proudly, "one of the second year girls confessed to me."

Matsukawa snorted. "She thought he was someone else."

"Don't ruin it!" Hanamaki wailed. He sighed, slumping forward on the picnic table with his face buried in his arms. Tooru reached out and patted him awkwardly. "I was so close."

"There there," Tooru soothed, continuing to pat his shoulder.

Hanamaki sighed. Then, just as Tooru turned to ask Matsukawa a question, Hanamaki sat bolt upright. "You!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Tooru. He pointed another at Iwaizumi. "And you!"

"There we go," Matsukawa said. "I knew he'd get there eventually."

"You two were holding hands!" Hanamaki shouted.

Tooru smiled sweetly. "Were we?"

Iwaizumi laughed, the sound familiar and dear to Tooru's ears. He grinned at her stupidly. 

"Oh my god," Hanamaki said, making a face. "Is this a prank?"

"Nope," Tooru said, gazing at Iwaizumi with a dopey smile on his face. "Iwa-chan finally succumbed to my charms. It was inevitable really."

Iwaizumi kicked him, which was also inevitable. 

Tooru blew her a kiss.

"You two are disgusting," Matsukawa said approvingly.

Iwaizumi grinned, and Tooru found that he couldn't look away from her crooked smile, the tiny gap between her front teeth, the dimple in her left cheek. He wanted school to be over already so he could kiss her again. 

"Nah," Iwaizumi said, still grinning. "We're just the same as we've always been."

**Author's Note:**

> [reblog on tumblr | ](https://notallballs.tumblr.com/post/178945318802/be-my-valentine-notallballs-notallbees)[RT on twitter](https://twitter.com/notallbees/status/1050328280426004481) | [my iwaoi fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=1329922&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&fandom_id=758208&user_id=notallbees)
> 
>    
> Please check out [this gorgeous art](https://twitter.com/popplioikawa/status/1042393214739656704) by phee which was a huge inspiration!!
> 
> eta: [I also went and drew my own fanart apparently :3c](https://twitter.com/notallbees/status/1075535270123057155)


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